Minneapolis/St.Paul - The 2011 WNBA Champion Minnesota Lynx today announced the team's schedule for the 2012 season. The Lynx will tip off their 14th season in the WNBA on Sunday, May 20 vs. Phoenix at Target Center at 11:30 a.m. The game will air on ABC-TV, one of a franchise-record four nationally televised games this year. The 2012 WNBA campaign consists of 34 regular-season contests (17 home/17 away) from May 20 through September 23. The WNBA will break from July 14 to August 15 to allow WNBA players compete for their respective countries in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.

The Lynx will play Western Conference teams San Antonio (three times on the road, two at home) and Tulsa (three times at home, two on the road) five times each, and Los Angeles, Phoenix and Seattle four times apiece, twice at home and twice on the road. Minnesota will play each Eastern Conference team (Atlanta, Chicago, Connecticut, Indiana, New York and Washington) twice, once at home and on the road.

Minnesota's 17-game home schedule features 10 weekend dates (3 - Friday, 3 - Saturday, 4 - Sunday) as well as two Tuesday games, two Wednesday matchups and three Thursday contests. Minnesota will host its annual afternoon camp day game, a noon tipoff against the Tulsa Shock, on Thursday, July 12.

Highlights of the home portion of Minnesota's schedule also include: a rematch of the 2011 WNBA Finals Series when Angel McCoughtry and the Atlanta Dream visit Target Center on Friday, September 7; two visits from Diana Taurasi and the Phoenix Mercury (Sunday, May 20 and Wednesday, June 27); 2011 Regular Season MVP Tamika Catchings and the Indiana Fever will make their lone visit to Target Center on Sunday, Sept. 16; Candace Parker and the Los Angeles Sparks travel to Minneapolis two times (Thursday, May 24 and Tuesday, Sept. 4).

Minnesota will enjoy one four-game homestand (Aug. 28 Sept. 7) and one three-game home stretch (June 21 27) this year. The Lynx will play three of their first four games at Target Center. Minnesota will play three consecutive games on the road three different times this season, including two three-game road trips among its final seven games. Minnesota's regular season home finale will be on Sunday, Sept. 16 vs. Indiana. The Lynx have only one back-to-back set this year, when they play on the road at Los Angeles on Sept. 20 and Phoenix the following night (Sept. 21).

Season and group tickets for the 2012 season are now on sale. For information on ticket packages, call 612-673-8400, e-mail tickets@lynxbasketball.com, or visit the Lynx website at www.lynxbasketball.com.

Key Facts About the 2012 Lynx Regular-Season Schedule

By month, the schedule breaks down as follows: May (3 home, 2 away = 5 total), June (5 home, 4 away = 9 total), July (2 home, 3 away = 5 total), August (4 home, 2 away = 6 total) and September (3 home, 6 away = 9 total).

By day, the schedule breaks down as follows: Tuesday (2 home, 4 away = 6 total), Wednesday (2 home, 1 away = 3 total), Thursday (3 home, 2 away = 5 total), Friday (3 home, 4 away = 7 total), Saturday (3 home, 2 road = 5 total), Sunday (4 home, 4 away = 8 total).

Minnesota's 17-game home schedule will feature four different starting times: 11 games tipoff at 7:00 p.m.; three games (all Sundays) will commence at 6:00 p.m.; two games will start at 11:30 a.m. (both Saturdays) and one game at 12:00 p.m.

The Lynx will open their regular season slate on Sunday, May 20 vs. Phoenix, marking the eighth time the club has opened at Target Center. The Lynx are 7-6 in season openers, including 5-2 in season openers at Target Center. Minnesota opened its 2011 campaign with an 82-74 loss at Los Angeles.

Minnesota will play three stretches of at least three consecutive games at home this season, including a four-game homestand from Aug. 28 Sept. 7 (Tue., Aug. 28 vs. SA, Fri., Aug. 31 vs. Tulsa, Tue., Sept. 4 vs. LA and Fri., Sept. 7 vs. Atlanta). The Lynx other three-game homes stretches: June 21-27 (Thur., June 21 vs. New York, Sat., June 23 vs. Chicago and Wed., June 27 vs. Phoenix) and July 12 Aug. 19 (Thur., July 12 vs. Tulsa, Fri., Aug. 17 vs. Washington and Sun., Aug. 19 vs. Tulsa).

The most consecutive road games this season for the Lynx is three: June 9 - 17 (Tulsa, Phoenix, Seattle); Sept. 9 14 (San Antonio, Chicago, Indiana); Sept. 20 23 (Los Angeles, Phoenix, San Antonio).

The Lynx play only one set of back-to-backs this year: Sept. 20 at Los Angeles/Sept. 21 at Phoenix.

Minnesota will play the same opponent two games in a row two times in 2012: July 10/12 Tulsa; Sept. 14/16 Indiana.

Western Conference: Los Angeles (H: 5/24, 9/4; A: 7/5, 9/20); Phoenix (H: 5/20, 6/27; A: 6/15, 9/21); San Antonio (H: 6/3, 8/28; A: 7/1, 9/9, 9/23); Seattle (H: 5/26, 6/6; A: 6/17, 8/21); Tulsa (H: 7/12, 8/19, 8/31; A: 6/9, 7/10).

Eastern Conference: Atlanta (H: 9/7; A: 8/25); Chicago (H: 6/23; A: 9/11) Connecticut (H: 7/7; A: 6/1); Indiana (H: 9/16; A: 9/14); New York (H: 6/21; A: 5/22); Washington (H: 8/17; A: 5/30).

Minnesota Lynx

2012 Regular-Season Schedule

May

Sun. 20 PHOENIX* 11:30 a.m.

Tue. 22 at New York 6:00 p.m.

Thu. 24 LOS ANGELES 7:00 p.m.

Sat. 26 SEATTLE 7:00 p.m.

Wed. 30 at Washington 6:00 p.m.

June

Fri. 1 at Connecticut 6:00 p.m.

Sun. 3 SAN ANTONIO 6:00 p.m.

Wed. 6 SEATTLE 7:00 p.m.

Sat. 9 at Tulsa 7:00 p.m.

Fri. 15 at Phoenix 9:00 p.m.

Sun. 17 at Seattle 8:00 p.m.

Thu. 21 NEW YORK 7:00 p.m.

Sat. 23 CHICAGO# 11:30 a.m.

Wed. 27 PHOENIX 7:00 p.m.

July

Sun. 1 at San Antonio 2:00 p.m.

Thu. 5 at Los Angeles 2:00 p.m.

Sat. 7 CONNECTICUT 7:00 p.m.

Tue. 10 at Tulsa 11:30 a.m.

Thu. 12 TULSA 12:00 p.m.

Aug.

Fri. 17 WASHINGTON 7:00 p.m.

Sun. 19 TULSA 6:00 p.m.

Tue. 21 at Seattle^ 9:00 p.m.

Sat. 25 at Atlanta^ 6:00 p.m.

Tue. 28 SAN ANTONIO 7:00 p.m.

Fri. 31 TULSA 7:00 p.m.

Sept.

Tue. 4 LOS ANGELES 7:00 p.m.

Fri. 7 ATLANTA 7:00 p.m.

Sun. 9 at San Antonio 2:00 p.m.

Tue. 11 at Chicago 7:00 p.m.

Fri. 14 at Indiana 6:00 p.m.

Sun. 16 INDIANA 6:00 p.m.

Thu. 20 at Los Angeles 9:30 p.m.

Fri. 21 at Phoenix 9:00 p.m.

Sun. 23 at San Antonio 2:00 p.m.

Home games in capital letters. All times Central.

* Nationally telecast on ABC-TV

# Nationally telecast on ESPN

^ Nationally telecast on ESPN2

Contact information:

Aaron Seehusen, Minnesota Lynx, (612) 673-1602, seehusen@lynxbasketball.com

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